August 17, 1999
QuestChat with Phillip Luan

Mechanical Engineer
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

[ Oran/NASAChatHost
- 2 - 11:47:49 ]
Hello to our early arriving chat participants. Today's chat with Phillip
Luan from NASA Ames Research Center will begin in just under 15 minutes.
Be sure you have read Phillip's profile at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/wright/team/luan.html
to prepare your questions.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost
- 3 - 11:50:23 ]
Today's chat may be MODERATED if Phillip falls behind with our questions.
This means only a few questions will be posted to the chat room at a time.
DON'T WORRY if you don't see your questions on your screen immediately
during moderation. They will be posted as Phillip answers those ahead
of you in the chat room.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost
- 4 - 11:50:34 ]
At the conclusion of the chat, please take a few minutes to share your
thoughts with us. Click on http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats to send your comments about
today's chat to us, using our online feedback forms. We look forward to
hearing from you!

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 5 - 11:57:49 ]
Hi everyone!

[ Oran/NASAChatHost
- 6 - 11:58:59 ]RE: [PhillipLuan/ARC] Hi everyone!
Welcome, Phillip! We'll get started just as soon as our participants log
on for today's chat. Thanks so much for returning to chat with us today!

[ Oran/NASAChatHost
- 9 - 12:10:39 ]
Hello and welcome to today's Aerospace Team Online chat with Phillip Luan
from NASA Ames Research Center. Balances used in wind tunnel tests tell
engineers how the force of the wind affects the model. Phillip is responsible
for making sure that balances used for these tests are extremely accurate.
He also helps determine how electrical signals received during the tests
are related to the accuracy of the balances.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 18 - 12:16:21 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Can you describe
a typical day in your work?
Sure, basically we have two jobs here in the lab. We calibrate balances
for wind tunnel tests here at Ames and also for outside projects. When
we're not calibrating balances, we work on projects like upgrading our
information systems along with our automatic calibration machine.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 20 - 12:16:40 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] As a mechanical
engineer, what exactly do you study? I am interested in engineering, but
there are so many different fields to choose from!
Mechanical Engineers study a little bit of everything. We study electronics
and controls, structures, physics, a lot of math, and experimentation.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 33 - 12:29:44 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] How was the Wright
Flyer different from the other craft you tested?
Actually from a wind tunnel test standpoint its very similar. One thing
is that for modern planes they usually use a lot of pressure sensors on
the model, but for the Wright Flyer I don't think they had to. For a typical
wind tunnel model you have a force transducer, which is the balance, and
pressure sensors. The pressure sensors paint a picture of how the air
is moving around the model

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 35 - 12:34:23 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] When using a model
for tests in the wind tunnel, what factors must be included in order for
your results to reflect what will happen on the real craft?
Some of the other factors that effect a wind tunnel test is the accuracy
of the balance, and also of the measuring instrumentation.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 39 - 12:37:20 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Are you interested
in working with the space program?
Yes. Right now I'm focused on the projects I'm working on. But it appears
that a lot of NASA's focus is on the Space Program. It would be nice to
work in that field.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 40 - 12:38:36 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Are they measured
in metric?
No, the forces and pressures here at Ames are measured in lbs and psi,
like most places in the US. But there's not really a problem converting
back and forth.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 43 - 12:40:37 ]
Stephanie, are you considering an education in Engineer or the sciences?

[ Stephanie/Edmonton - 44 - 12:41:50 ]
Yes, I do want to be some kind of engineer (probably mechanical/electrical)
and a space scientist.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 45 - 12:42:03 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Is it hard to get
into engineering in college? Does one just need mediocre marks or quite
high?
Engineering is competitive, but not much more that other fields. But they
look at your science and math marks.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 55 - 12:50:30 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Learning how to
computer program is important as a mechanical engineer, right?
Yes, the more you know about computers the more you can do. Writing a
computer program automates tasks, and allows you to do new things. I'm
using Basic along with HTML at work.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 61 - 13:20:38 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] How do you calibrate
a balance? What does the balance look like?
A balance is a metal cylinder that fits inside a wind tunnel model. When
we calibrate it we apply know loads and record the electrical outputs
from the balance. We use this data to generate a matrix. This matrix will
then calculate applied loads in a wind tunnel test.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 62 - 13:21:19 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Are computers an
important part in your job?
Yes, I think computers are important in everyone's jobs. We not only use
computers to control automated machines in the lab and to collect data,
but also to organize our records. Computers allow us to manage alot of
information.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 63 - 13:23:35 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Do you feel that
you are treated differently in the working world because of your ethnic
background? I am also Chinese and that is usually my concern rather than
gender differences.
There is definitely a difference in culture and background, but I've only
had positive experiences here at NASA Ames.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 64 - 14:50:09 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] I am pondering
what university to go into (I'm over in Canada), but I guess it depends
on what field I choose.
There are alot of good engineering schools. Which school you decide to
go is important, but I think you can succeed anywhere.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 65 - 14:51:33 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] What planes have
you worked on so far?
I've have supported the Boeing 777 test, Wright Flyer test, a leer jet
test, and the High Speed Civil Transport research test, to name a few

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 66 - 14:52:20 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Do you plan to
continue your education?
I try to continue my education everyday! I would like to go back to school,
but the most important thing for me is that I continue learning. Whether
its at a job or going back to school.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 67 - 14:52:56 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] When using a model
for tests in the wind tunnel, what factors must be included in order for
your results to reflect what will happen on the real craft?
Well the model has to be an accurate representation of the real plane.
That becomes a problem when the models are sometimes much smaller that
in life. You lose fidelity when your model is too small.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 68 - 14:56:07 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] I am pondering
what university to go into (I'm over in Canada), but I guess it depends
on what field I choose.
There are a lot of good engineering schools. Which school you decide to
go is important, but I think you can succeed anywhere.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 69 - 14:59:23 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] What are the design
differences between aircraft suited for supersonic and hypersonic speeds?
I'm not really an Aero Engineer, but planes designed for supersonic speeds
usually are slicker and have swept wing angles.

[ PhillipLuan/ARC
- 70 - 15:00:48 ]RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] What is the paint
that is put on the aircraft and changes color made out of? Does it measure
pressure or temperature?
It measures Pressure. Its called pressure sensitive paint. It tells aero
engineers what kind of flow exist on different parts of the plane.

[ Oran/NASAChatHost
- 57 - 12:52:29 ]
Stephanie, we're glad you were able to join us for today's chat. Be sure
to share you thoughts about today's chat with us at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats. Phillip, our sincere thanks
for joining us online today, and offering insights into you career. We
hope your time with us has been enjoyable, and helped young people like
Stephanie consider a career in engineering. Have a good day. Thanks!!!